ACRL Task Force on the Structure for Core Organizational Values

Charge

To recommend several options to the ACRL Board on how to engage members in the issues of intellectual freedom and ethics as well as the other core organizational values articulated in ACRL’s Plan for Excellence and consider how to ensure ACRL contributes to conversations about these values in academic libraries. Options for the task force to consider might include retaining or disbanding one or both of the committees, merging the two committees, or developing a new committee that addresses all of the professional values important to all academic and research librarians. If the task force recommends a committee, the recommendation should include the name, charge, structure, and composition of any new ACRL committee.

The task force should also explore alternatives to a division-level committee that might include strengthening the role of representatives to ALA committees, exploring whether existing communities of practice might engage with these topics, and whether a new communities of practice group might also serve as a way for ACRL to address these issues. The task force is encouraged to develop additional options for Board consideration as long as they are in adherence with ACRL’s policies.

Roster

Displaying active committee roster as of 07/01/2013. Last retrieved on 08/02/2015. Members can log in to view full contact information for committee members.

Specific Tasks

The Task Force will present a recommendation for dealing with academic library core values at the ACRL division-level that includes recommendations for the disposition of the Ethics and Intellectual Freedom Committees. The Task Force will offer at least two options delineating the strengths and weaknesses of each.

The Task Force will consider:

The ALA Code of Ethics

The Library Bill of Rights

The ACRL Plan for Excellence

The charges of the current Ethics, Intellectual Freedom, and Status of Academic Librarians Committees

Core professional issues of concern to academic librarians

ACRL’s Principles for Division-Level Committees

If one of the proposed solutions is a division-level committee, the Task Force will write a charge that includes specific tasks that will of the advance the work of the ACRL Board, fulfill goals in the ACRL Plan for Excellence, and serve the needs ACRL members.

If the task force recommends a new committee, in addition to writing a specific committee charge as detailed above, the Task Force will:

Recommend a name for the committee (Note: the word values is similar to value and might cause confusion with the Value of Academic Libraries Committee)

Recommend a structure for the committee – possible options include a stand-alone committee or a committee with sub-committees, or a coordinating committee with component committees

If the Task Force recommends strengthening the representative relationship with ALA committees, they will also include specific details of how the relationship would work.

Composition

The task force will include a chair, members, and Board and staff liaisons. The ACRL President is the appointing authority.